Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence Breaks Ground in Queensland

German-based defence contractor Rheinmetall has commenced construction on Australian Defence’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE), part of an 11.1 hectare precinct located in Ipswich, QLD.

MILVEHCOE is part of Rheinmetall’s permanent Australia-New Zealand headquarters, built in preparation for delivering over $5 billion in light armoured vehicles for Defence. Rheinmetall will deliver and sustain 211 Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRVs) and a continuous stream of design, construction, and support for up to 5,000 military vehicles.

This comprises the Land 400 Phase 2 Project for the Australian Army.

Rheinmetall Australia staff and Minister for Defence Industry Steve Ciobo participated in an official sod turning at the Ipswich site in a ceremony officiated by the Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk and the Minister for State Development Cameron Dick.

“These are the jobs of the future – working on highly advanced military vehicles with advanced complex systems,” Minister Ciobo said.

“These are vehicles which are designed and manufactured to give our soldiers the best possible chance of completing their missions on operations and coming home safely to their families.”

Federal Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne said MILVEHCOE “represents a multi-million dollar investment by Rheinmetall, which is delivering both trucks and armoured vehicles for the Army.”

Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director Gary Stewart said the manufacturer has established a sovereign military vehicle design and production capability for Australia, transferring critical skills and technology from the company’s German parent company.

In addition to design and construction facilities, MILVEHCOE will also boast a vehicle test track and electromagnetic test chamber – used to confirm that vehicles meet the agreed performance specifications; an indoor firing range; a systems integration laboratory; and facilities for engineering, training, procurement, compliance, and general administration.

Rheinmetall is also delivering more than 2500 protected high mobility trucks under the Land 121 Phase 3B program, and a further 1000 trucks through Phase 5B.

According to Australian Defence Magazine, “the facility will be located in the heart of a digital cluster supported by all of Australia’s leading data and communications specialists currently serving the ADF. It will also ensure Army’s ability to rapidly deploy when required with some 70 per cent of Army’s operational vehicles based in Queensland.”

Rheinmetall Defence Australia is a subsidiary of the Rheinmetall Group headquartered in Germany. Rheinmetall Defence Australia has been a trusted partner of the Australian and New Zealand defence forces for over 40 years. The company is the largest supplier of military vehicles to the Australian Defence Force.